Method of fabricating an automobile heater



Nov. 9, 1937. A. w. M NEISH 2,098,787

METHOD OF FABRICATING AN AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed July 25, 1957 ATTORNEY-5 Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES FATE METHOD OF FABRICATING AN AUTOMO- BILE HEATER 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an automobile heater and more particularly to a method for fabricating the same.

In the fabrication of a heater of the exhaust type, such as shown in my copending application Serial No. 96,726, filed August 19, 1935, particularly where the heater is used with an internal combustion engine having two banks of cylinders each with a separate exhaust pipe, the heater must be provided with two separate pipes for connecting with these two separate exhaust pipes.

These two pipes are positioned in suitable open ings provided in the end plate of the heater and copper welded or brazed therein. However, each of these two pipes must be properly positioned and fixed in the end plate of the heater so that they will accurately join with the ends of the separate exhaust pipes leading from the individual banks of cylinders of the engine. Considerable diificulty has been encountered in holding the pipes in the proper position in the openings in the end plate while the heater was being passed through and copper welded or brazed in the hydrogen furnace.

It was proposed to first properly position the pipes in the openings in the end plate of the heater and then by means of an acetylene torch weld the exhaust pipes in the openings in two or more spaced spots before passing the heater through the hydrogen furnace for copper welding. However, this method proved impractical because for some unexplainable reason the copper weld or brazing was invariably defective at the points at which the pipe and end plate were torch welded thus permitting the escape of exhaust gases at this point which is highly undesirable. It is also impractical to hold the pipes and heater in a jig while passing them through the hydrogen furnace.

It is the object of this invention to overcome this difiiculty and fabricate a heater in which the parts are copper welded or brazed together and in which the exhaust pipes will be fixed in the proper position and in which the copper or brazed joint between the end plate and the pipe will be air-tight.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section showing my heater with the two exhaust pipes.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the heater.

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing there is shown a heater generally of the type shown in my above-mentioned application consisting of an outer casing I, an inner casing 2, end plates 3 for closing the end of the outer casing l' between the end of the inner casing 2 and outer casing I. The heater also includes an end plate 4 for the end of the inner casing 2.

The inner casing 2 is spaced from the outer casing I to provide a chamber 5 through which the air circulates about the casing 2. The air passes into the casing I through inlet 6 and out through outlet l. The exhaust gases pass through the inner casing 2 and are conducted to the casing 2 by means of the curved exhaust pipes 8 and 9. One pipe 8 connects up with the exhaust pipe Ill leading from one bank of cylinders of an internal combustion engine, such as a V type motor, and the other pipe 9 connects up with the other banks of cylinders of said motor.

The exhaust gases pass through casing 2 and into the outlet pipe H. Obviously the heater must occupy a given definite space adjacent the motor and beneath the hood of the automobile. Not only must the heater be properly positioned in the space provided beneath the hood, but the pipes 8 and must be individually positioned with respect to the motor exhaust pipes l6 so that they will properly align with these pipes. pipes 8 and 9 must be held in a very definite position one with respect to the other, and after being positioned in the openings I2 provided therefor in the end plate 4, must be held in fixed relation with these openings so that the pipes 8 and 9 will not turn in the openings l2 and will not tilt in the openings l2. At the same time, since it is proposed to braze the joint between the pipes 8 and 9 and the openings 52 in the end plate nothing must be done which will cause this joint to be defectively brazed so that exhaust gases will leak. through the joints between the pipes, 8, 9 and the openings i2.

To this end, after the pipes 8 and 9 have been properly positioned in the openings l2 so that they will line up with themotor exhaust pipes ii] leading from the banks of the motor, and so that the pipes 8 and 9 will be positioned properly with respect to the end plate 4 and heater case, a bridge l3 in the form of a U with outturned ends I4- is positioned between the pipes 8 and 9 with the outturned ends it positioned against the outer face of the end plate 4. The end plate 4 is provided with a press fit in the end of the inner casing 2 so that it will not move with respect to the casing 2 even when supporting the weights of the pipes 8 and 9 while passing through the hydrogen furnace.

The bridge I3 is preferably although not necessarily made of a strip of metal having about the same width as the distance between the pipes 8 T OFFIQE.

Thus, the

and 9 in that area where the bridge is positioned.

The outturned ends [4 of the bridge are welded as at l6 to the end plate 4 and then after the pipes 8 and 9 have been properly located with respect 'to each other, the heater casing, and the ex haust pipes fromthe engine, the bridge is then along the edges of the bridge 13 and connect the bridge I3 to the pipes 8 and 9 for a distance of a quarter or even half an inch. The length and extent of the weld, of course, can be varied depending upon the conditions obtaining such as the weight of the pipes l2, the length and the handling to which the heater is subjected before and during its passage through the hydrogen furnace. f,-

The openings I2 are provided with inturned flanges l9. Upon passing through the welding furnace an excellent and air-tight weld will now be obtained between the pipes 8 and 9 and the flanged openings l2 in the end plate 4. It will be noted that the welds connecting the bridge l3 to the end plate 4 and to the pipes 8 and 9 are spaced from the joints between the pipes 8 and 9 and the openings I 2 in the end plate 4 and thus do not at all interfere with the copper brazing or welding of the heater.

I claim:

1. A method for fabricating a sheet metal automobile heater of the type comprising a sheet metal casing through which the exhaust gases of the motor are passedin heat exchange relation but out of communication with the air to be heated, a sheet metal closure plate for the end of said casing having an opening therein and a pipe adapted to fit in the opening in theend plate and connect with the exhaust passageway of the motor to conduct 7 the exhaust gases from the motor into the said casing, said method com- I prising the steps of inserting'the exhaust pipe in :the opening in the end plate, positioning the'said pipe in a predetermined position with respect to the said end plate and so that it will connect with the motor exhaust passageway, and while the pipe is thus positioned welding a metal bridge member to the said pipe and closure plate at points spaced from the joint between the pipe and the opening in the end plate, and thereafter brazing the said pipe in the opening in the end plate to secure an air-tight joint between the end ;plate and the pipe and to fix the pipe in the said opening.

- 2. A method for fabricating a sheet metal automobile heater of the type comprising a sheet metal casing through which the exhaust gases are passed in heat exchange relation but out of communication with theair to be heated, a sheet metal closure for the end of said casing having an opening therein and a pipe adapted to fit in the opening in the end plate and connect with the exhaust passageway of the motor to conduct the exhaust gases from the motor into the said casing, said'method comprising the steps of inserting the exhaust pipe in the opening in the said end closure, positioning the said pipe in a predetermined position with respect to the said end closure and so that it will connect with the exhaust motor passageway, and while the pipe is thus positioned torch welding a metal bridge member to the said pipe and end closure both at points spaced from the joint between the pipe and the opening in the end closure and thereafter copper brazing the said pipe in the opening in the end closure to secure an air-tight joint between the end closure and the pipe and to fix the pipe in the said opening. 7

3. A method for fabricating a sheet metal automobile heater of the type comprising a sheet metal casing through which the exhaust gases are passed in heat exchange relation but out of communication with the air to be heated, a sheet a metal end closure having two openings therein and a pair of pipes adapted to fit in the openings in the end plate and connect with the exhaust passageway of the motor to conduct the exhaust gases fromthe motor into the said casing, said method comprising the steps of inserting the exhaust pipes in the openings in the end closure,

positioning a metal bridge member between the said exhaust pipes and against the said end closure, positioning the said pipesin predetermined position With respect to the said end closure and each other and so-that they will connect with the motor exhaust passageways, and

while the pipes are thus positioned welding the 7 metal bridge member to the said pipes and end closure at points all of which are spaced from the joints between the pipes and the openings in the end closure and thereafter brazing the said pipes in the openings in the end closure to secure an air-tight joint between the end closure and the pipes and to fix the pipes in the said opening.

4. A method of fabricating a sheet metal auto mobile heater of .the exhaust type comprising forming a plurality of openings in a wall ofthe said heater, inserting a pipe in each of said openings, positioning a sheet metal bridge member adjacent the said pipes and in contact withthe pipes in a predetermined position with respect'tov the said wall and with respect to each other, and while the'pipes are thus positioned welding the said metal bridge member to each of said pipes V 5. A method of fabricating a sheet metal automobile heater of the exhaust type comprising forming a plurality of openings in a wall of the said heater, inserting a pipe in each of said openings, positioning an approximately U shaped sheet metal bridge member between the said pipes with j the ends of the bridge member in contact with the said wall of the heater, positioning the'said pipes in a predetermined position with respect to the said wall of the heater and to each other,

and while the pipes are thus positioned welding the metal bridge member to the said'pipes at points spaced from the joint between the pipes and the openings in the wall of the heater and also welding the ends of the U bridge member to the wall of the heater at points spaced from the joints between the openings in the wall and. the said pipes, and thereafter copper brazing the.

said pipes in the openings in the wall of the heater to secure an air-tight joint between the wall and the pipes and to fix the pipes in thesaid openings in said predetermined position.

' ARTHUR W. McNEISI-l.

said wall of the said heater, positioning the said 

